Travel and Spontaneity: A Quick Side Trip in Naga City

naysanalbaytar

Jan 29

Traveling, not only to discover more of the world but also to discover more of ourselves...

I'm a typical planner whenever I travel. I love making itineraries and jotting down schedules down to the last details. I recognize I need to be more spontaneous in my travels, but it doesn't come easy to me.

Our most recent overnight sidetrip gave me a glimpse of the fun that comes with spontaneity, and the fun was doubled because it was a shared experience.

Travel Buddies: Let, Anni, and meee

It was just an overnight trip. We had an out-of-town work event in Naga (Bicol), and three of us in the team wanted to make the most of it, so we decided to extend for another night and go on a quick vacation. We were all set to go on a beach, a resort near Caramoan. But, we found out on the day before we left our hotel that the resort was three (3) to four (4) hours away. We would have spent half our time traveling back and forth! And so last minute, we did a quick Google search to find an alternative and found Cocoland Farm and Resort. It was only about 30 to 45 minutes away, but it wasn't a beach. It was a farm, with a beach nearby. Seemed good enough, so we went for it.

Cocoland Farm and Resort

The weather was cool and cloudy, and we were simply hoping it wouldn't rain. We arrived at a beautiful farm resort that was quiet and smack right in the middle of nowhere. There was no signal. They had wi-fi, but there was no electricity when we arrived, so the wi-fi wasn't working. Whew.

Okay, time for activities. We laid out our plans: food, ATV, horseback riding, beach, and then pool. Lunch was delicious—kani salad, chicken tinola, and pork sisig. But when it was time for ATV, we found out the units were under maintenance.

Okay, horseback riding to the beach, then. They had two horses ready, and we had to wait for the third one to be fetched. I rode the third horse, and it wouldn't move. I found out it had a foal, probably the reason it didn't want to go—she didn't want to leave her baby. In the end, I decided to walk and take photos instead. It was a 10- to 15-minute walk/horseride to a white sand pebble beach, which was beautiful. The water was cool and there wasn't a lot of people. It was peaceful. We had a chance to swim and enjoy the water before going back at around 5:00 PM.

By the time we reached the farm, it was raining, and we had a great time at the pool. By dinner time, we were tired but happy. Some drinks, some stories, and we were ready to call it a night.

We left the following morning at around 10:00 AM after a hearty breakfast of fried fish, eggs, fried rice, and coffee, and some more stories. Our flight was at 01:55 PM, and we still had time to drop by a pasalubong (souvenir) center before heading to the airport. To our dismay, we were told upon arrival that our flight was cancelled—too cloudy, I guess. But, we were given the option to take the 5:00 PM flight from Bicol International Airport. They would take us there by bus. We agreed, and off we went.

At the Bicol International Airport with the Mayon Volcano in the background

We arrived at 4:00 PM, in time for the 5:00 PM flight. There was the Mayon Volcano, and home was too close, but there was no time to meet and see anyone—it was time to board.

We arrived in Manila around 7:00 PM, and what an adventure it had been! Thinking about all of it, it's exhilarating. Quick, spontaneous, but fun! We had a great time sharing stories and allowing ourselves to be awed by the newness of everything. We need more spontaneous travels like this.

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